The story behind Princess Diana's iconic engagement outfit

From her glorious red carpet gowns to her chic holiday ensembles, the late Princess Diana had some truly iconic fashion moments.
But her wardrobe wasn’t always full of haute couture.
For the announcement of her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana wore a blue skirt suit she’d hurriedly bought off-the-rack at Harrods.

Getty Images
The 19-year-old found herself in the London department store after having a ‘Pretty Woman’ moment in a fancy boutique favoured by the royals.
According to Marie Claire, the sales assistant at Bellville Sassoon didn’t recognise the princess-in-waiting, who had been dating Prince Charles for six months.
The staffer effectively sent Diana away empty-handed, suggesting she try a more budget-friendly store.

Lady Diana had a Pretty Woman moment. (Image: Touchstone Pictures)
To quote Julia Roberts’ on-screen character Vivian Ward: “Big mistake. Huge.”
Alas, it worked out in the end - the Cojana suit’s blue tone was the perfect accompaniment for Lady Spencer’s sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
The engagement suit was one of several outfits Diana, who died aged 36 in a car crash in Paris in 1997, had to buy ahead of her integration into the Royal Family.

WATCH: Prince William and Prince Harry visit the tributes to their late mother on the 20th anniversary of her death.
On the day she got engaged to Prince Charles, her clothing collection was the very definition of sparse - fair enough, considering she was only a teenager.
“I literally had one long dress, one silk shirt, one smart pair of shoes, and that was it,” Diana told royal biographer Andrew Morton.
“Suddenly my mother and I had to go out and buy six of everything.

Not bad for a rushed purchase. (Getty Images)
“We bought as much as we thought we needed but we still didn't have enough.”
Diana admitted her wardrobe evolved into “something unbelievable” to accommodate the aesthetic demands of dating a prince.
“Bear in mind you have to change four times a day … hence probably the criticism when I first arrived on the scene of having new clothes all the time."